Imagine if one of the life-changing events in your life was a fall off of a mountain, caused by your own father. Hephaestus’ life was not one filled with great fortune, and he was mostly laughed at throughout his entire life. But, as he strived to work and please others, he earned a warm place in both the hearts of gods and mortals. Every god in Ancient Greek society had his or her own origin, appearances and personality, love life, skills and roles in myths.
Hephaestus’ first moments of life were filled with other’s disappointment. After being conceived by Hera, Hephaestus looked so ugly even his own mother looked upon him in disgust (Marks). Then several years later, Zeus, his own father threw him off Olympus when Hephaestus sided in an argument with his mother, Hera. He was said to have fallen through the heavens for an entire day, then landed in the ocean close to an island crippling his legs. Rescued by two Nereids, Thetis and Eurynome, he was then taken to a cave far from the cruelty of his father and was nursed back to health for nine years. Never to forget this day, he would be a little bitter for the rest of his life (Low 16).
Hephaestus was often portrayed as a bearded man with strong shoulders, but with lame legs, supporting himself with a crutch while working at a forge. Although rumored to be the ugliest god, he was often talked about as one of the more caring. Being kind, he usually made anything someone asked him to, whether it was a magical weapon or a small bracelet. He even made Zeus his lightning bolts even though he was the one who threw him off of Olympus. Often putting an end to his parents and other Olympians’ quarrels, he was known also to be the peacemaker of the gods. This being so, he was usually very popular with both the gods and humans. Contrary to Hephaestus’ usual kind and caring nature, he was constantly jealous of Ares who was having an affair with his wife, Aphrodite (Hatzitsinidou).
Hephaestus had a very turbulent love life, starting when he married. He took Aphrodite as a wife not because the two were in love, but because of a joke Zeus thought would be funny; the most beautiful god married to the ugliest. Although Hephaestus is loyal to Aphrodite, Aphrodite has had many affairs and the most prominent one being with Ares, the god of war. To get revenge on Ares for having an affair with Aphrodite, Hephaestus was always trying to publicly humiliate them (Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus). Though Aphrodite has had many affairs and one would think Hephaestus would feel resentment towards her, Aphrodite could always count on Hephaestus to forge anything for her. When asked to create armor for her son, he willingly complied. His love for her was strong, but it was hardly ever reciprocated (Lesley 170).
Hephaestus, like any other god or goddess, had a main place to practice his craft. He was the god of fire and the forge, and created many magical items with the help of his Cyclopes. Although he was ugly in appearance, even his own mother who looked upon him in disgust at the moment of his birth realized that what he lacked in physical beauty was made up for what he could create for the world. Forging under the crater of the volcano Etna with the help of the Cyclopes, he has been known to have made beautiful jewelry, vessels to drink from, furniture, and weapons. Also, he created all of the magnificent thrones specifically designed for each of the main gods on Olympus that served as their sacred meeting place (Hephaestus).
Hephaestus’ main role in myths was to be the creator, and in many myths, has been the reason why a certain god, goddess or hero succeeded or failed. He created Zeus’ lightning bolts and various other god’s weapons, as well as their armor. Also, he forged and created many heroes’ armor, including the fateful Achilles. If he had designed the armor to cover his ankles, perhaps Achilles would not have died. Despite often helping the other gods, he had been known to attempt to humiliate them - especially his wife and her lover. Once, he set a trap for them, and entangled them both in an invisible net while making love, exposing them to the laughter of the gods. In the process though, he revealed not only his cleverness, but the fact that he was a cuckold to the rest of the gods. More often than not, Hephaestus unintentionally became the target of the god’s laughter (Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus).
Every god in Greek Mythology, including Hephaestus, had an origin, different appearances and personalities, love life, skills and roles in myths. There had been many gods of ancient Greece who had flaunted their skills to try and prove they were the best, but Hephaestus always stayed true to his craft and by doing so, found a warm place in the hearts of many.
Works Cited
"Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus." Aphrodite (Venus), Ares (Mars) and Hephaestus (Vulcan). 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
Bolton, Lesley. The Everything Classical Mythology Book. Avon: F + W, 2002. Print.
Hatzitsinidou, Evangelia. "Hephaestus Greek God of Fire and Forge." Greek-Gods.Info. 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
"Hephaestus." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2011): 1. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
Low, Alice. The Macmillan Book of Greek Gods and Heroes. New York: Macmillan, 1985. Print.
Marks, Tracy. "Hephaestus or Vulcan: Artisan of the Greek and Roman Gods by Tracy Marks." WebWinds: Personal Pages of Tracy Marks Webcams, Webcards, Ice Skatingphotography, Articles, Internet Resources. 1999. Web. 01 Dec. 2011.
Hephaestus: Forge Master of the Gods
Imagine if one of the life-changing events in your life was a fall off of a mountain, caused by your own father. Hephaestus’ life was not one filled with great fortune, and he was mostly laughed at throughout his entire life. But, as he strived to work and please others, he earned a warm place in both the hearts of gods and mortals. Every god in Ancient Greek society had his or her own origin, appearances and personality, love life, skills and roles in myths.Hephaestus was often portrayed as a bearded man with strong shoulders, but with lame legs, supporting himself with a crutch while working at a forge. Although rumored to be the ugliest god, he was often talked about as one of the more caring. Being kind, he usually made anything someone asked him to, whether it was a magical weapon or a small bracelet. He even made Zeus his lightning bolts even though he was the one who threw him off of Olympus. Often putting an end to his parents and other Olympians’ quarrels, he was known also to be the peacemaker of the gods. This being so, he was usually very popular with both the gods and humans. Contrary to Hephaestus’ usual kind and caring nature, he was constantly jealous of Ares who was having an affair with his wife, Aphrodite (Hatzitsinidou).
Hephaestus, like any other god or goddess, had a main place to practice his craft. He was the god of fire and the forge, and created many magical items with the help of his Cyclopes. Although he was ugly in appearance, even his own mother who looked upon him in disgust at the moment of his birth realized that what he lacked in physical beauty was made up for what he could create for the world. Forging under the crater of the volcano Etna with the help of the Cyclopes, he has been known to have made beautiful jewelry, vessels to drink from, furniture, and weapons. Also, he created all of the magnificent thrones specifically designed for each of the main gods on Olympus that served as their sacred meeting place (Hephaestus).
Every god in Greek Mythology, including Hephaestus, had an origin, different appearances and personalities, love life, skills and roles in myths. There had been many gods of ancient Greece who had flaunted their skills to try and prove they were the best, but Hephaestus always stayed true to his craft and by doing so, found a warm place in the hearts of many.
Works Cited
"Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus." Aphrodite (Venus), Ares (Mars) and Hephaestus (Vulcan). 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
Bolton, Lesley. The Everything Classical Mythology Book. Avon: F + W, 2002. Print.
Hatzitsinidou, Evangelia. "Hephaestus Greek God of Fire and Forge." Greek-Gods.Info. 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
"Hephaestus." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2011): 1. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
Low, Alice. The Macmillan Book of Greek Gods and Heroes. New York: Macmillan, 1985. Print.
Marks, Tracy. "Hephaestus or Vulcan: Artisan of the Greek and Roman Gods by Tracy Marks." WebWinds: Personal Pages of Tracy Marks Webcams, Webcards, Ice Skatingphotography, Articles, Internet Resources. 1999. Web. 01 Dec. 2011.